will Z-pac help for flu?
Does ZPac work for the Flu?
I have had a cold for a week and am still coughing "a lung out" and blowing my nose every five minutes. My sinuses are painful and I can't hear or taste anything....and when I spit up in the morning its yellow mucus(sorry to TMI) so I went to my doctor yesterday and he gave me ZPac and he said I had some rattling sound in my lungs from the mucus. he said Viral. he said it wasn't flu...so I went to my job to give them my doctors note cause I work as a MA at peds clinic I asked my boss to do a flu test on me and it was positive faint line but was there.(also had a flu shot last November) So will the zpac help? I hope so feel miserable! just took my 2 pills just now.
Posted by TweetyBird
As a medical assistant you would know that flu is viral and azithromycin is an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. Now, if your condition has a bacterial component, and it may, Z-pak will treat that but not the viral component. Your doctor ran a QuickVue and it had a weak positive. If the control line didn't appear, the results are invalid no matter what the color. If ANY shade of pink-to-red AND the control line, the result is positive for flu A and/or B antigen.
The Z-pak will help if your infection is bacterial or has a bacterial component. If there's a viral component, it's self-limited and requires only supportive care.
Posted by Bobbie
Sounds like you got the flu and her is the kicker a bad sinus infection, which is prob. due to the flu, and the zpac will help with that
Posted by LINDA R
If your symptoms are being caused by flu, a viral infection, a ZPac won't have any effect. Antibiotics only kill bacteria. They have no effect on viruses. If you have a bacterial infection, ZPac may be appropriate, depending on the type of bacteria that are causing the infection.
Posted by Vagabond
Actually, there is some benefit to the macrolide class, and azithromycin in particular with upper respiratory viral illnesses. The macrolides cause a reduction in the release of cytokine, which in turn decreases the amount of overall inflammation. The end result is to speed healing; but it is important to note that the effect isn't significant enough to routinely prescribe a powerful antibiotic for a minor illness. It has to be a profound illness to garnish even a moderate benefit.
The azithromycin does have efficacy if your doctor suspects any bacterial co-infections. Beyond the minor effect on inflammation, and its utility against certain bacterial infection, there is no reason to prescribe it; and the former reason is, as noted, tenuous.
I hope you feel better soon!!!
Cheers
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments! Cold and Flu Basics - Cold and Flu Center - Gocoldflu.info
How to recognize the symptoms of cold and flu, which treatments work best, and advice on staying healthy during cold and flu season
Orignal From: will Z-pac help for flu?
Post a Comment